A Texas jury has found Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet.
At the age of 19, Anthony broke down in tears, joined by his emotional family, as the judge delivered the verdict on Tuesday. The sentencing range for his conviction spans from five to 99 years in prison.
In a heartfelt appeal, his mother, Kala Hayes, urged the jury to show leniency as they deliberate his sentence.
“He’s my oldest, my firstborn. He will always be my baby. I love him very much,” she expressed through tears.
“I know my son, and he deeply regrets his actions. Please have mercy on him,” she pleaded.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours after the defense and prosecution delivered closing arguments.
Anthony claimed he was acting in self-defense when he stabbed Metcalf, 17, with a folding knife after a heated argument at the high school event in Frisco in April 2025.
The case shocked America, and the discussion surrounding the killing of a white teen by a black peer quickly became racially fraught.
A verdict has been reached in Karmelo Anthony’s (pictured) murder trial over the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a Texas high school track meet
Anthony, now 19, claimed he was acting in self-defense when he stabbed Metcalf (pictured), 17, with a folding knife after a heated argument
During closing arguments, prosecutors eviscerated Anthony’s self-defense claim and encouraged jurors to find him guilty of murder.
‘What is important is not motive. It’s mindset. Mindset. He took a knife to a track meet,’ Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye said.
‘[Anthony] of course, felt empowered that he was going to come out on top of any encounter. You don’t get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove.’
Wirskye added, ‘Why didn’t he just walk away. He could have left the tent at any time. He didn’t. He didn’t abandon the encounter.’
‘The video tells the story, supported by the eyewitnesses and corroborated by the defendant’s actions and words,’ Wirskye said.
Anthony’s defense attorney, Mike Howard, claimed Metcalf had ‘no legal right to put his hands on Karmelo.’
‘Texas law does not require that you wait until you get hit,’ Howard said. ‘In that split second of chaos, you must put yourself in his shoes.’
He also argued that Anthony, who was a student at Centennial High School, was invited over to the Memorial High School tent by a fellow student, despite there being no evidence of that.
Anthony’s defense attorneys argued that he acted in self-defense and had been invited over to the tent despite there being no evidence of that
While cross-examining the medical examiner, Anthony’s lawyers implied that Metcalf impaled himself on the knife
‘Why would he pick a fight with a kid that’s bigger than him?’ Howard said. ‘Austin and Anthony had never met before. There’s no background.’
He continued, ‘It’s not about race. As much as people on the outside want to make it about that, one or the other. It’s not.’
Over the course of the nearly weeklong trial, jurors were presented with eyewitness testimony from students, coaches and investigators, as well as surveillance footage of the altercation.
Witnesses who were in the tent described Anthony as the aggressor, testifying that Anthony told Metcalf, ‘Touch me and see what happens,’ provoking Metcalf to push Anthony, who then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
Prosecutors said Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, rushed to his aid as Anthony ran from the scene and later tried to blend into groups of kids who were fleeing the stadium.
Anthony sat motionless in court as police body camera footage showed Hunter pleading for help after the stabbing.
Hunter shouted, ‘Oh my God. He’s my best friend. He’s my brother.’
He became hysterical as he begged for help and cried out, ‘I can’t do this.’
At one point, Hunter grew incoherent and seemed to be praying out loud.
Jurors gasped in horror after being shown never-before-seen photos of Metcalf’s punctured heart during the trial.
The case shocked America, and the discussion surrounding it quickly became racially fraught. Anthony’s supporters claim he was treated unfairly because he is black
Witnesses who were in the tent described Anthony as the aggressor, testifying that Anthony told Metcalf, ‘Touch me and see what happens’
Metcalf was stabbed once in the chest. The knife pierced through his bone in the center of his chest and punctured the right side of his heart, a medical examiner testifiedÂ
While cross-examining the medical examiner, Anthony’s lawyers implied that Metcalf impaled himself on the knife.
After his defense lawyers called six witnesses to the stand who offered underwhelming evidence, Anthony opted not to take the stand.
In Texas, defendants have the right to ask a jury to determine their punishment, meaning jurors will be presented with evidence from prosecutors and defense attorneys and then decide the sentence.
Anthony’s supporters have claimed he had been treated unfairly because he is black, while critics said those allegations were used to try and distract from the horrific crime.
Twelve jurors and six alternates, who are mostly white, with the exception of three Hispanic people, two Asian people, and two from the Middle East and India, were selected to decided Anthony’s fate.Â
During jury selection, defense attorneys raised a Batson challenge: a legal objection used when it is believed potential jurors were struck off because of race.
The challenge and jury selection may come into question for possible appeals later in the trial.
This is a developing story.Â